Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi organized the 2nd India Liver Health Summit on the occasion of World Liver Day on April 19th, 2023, with the aim to create awareness about alcohol abuse, its effect on liver and the resultant disorders, wherein the students of Amity University and Amity International Schools participated wholeheartedly to promote the campaign against the ill-effects of alcohol on the liver, amongst the youth. Students of Amity Schools also displayed their posters depicting the ill-effects of alcohol consumption on the liver, during the occasion.
Addressing the students who were present in large numbers on the occasion, Chief Guest, Shri Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Prize Winner – 2014, averred, “Liver diseases due to alcohol consumption are on a steep rise in India. Many crimes such as child sexual abuse and violence are committed under the influence of alcohol, particularly in the rural areas. If students are aware about the ill effects of alcohol, they can convince their fathers and other family members to quit alcohol, thereby saving their family. One must be compassionate towards the victims and empathize with them in order to understand and eliminate their suffering. Therefore, today’s programme will be highly beneficial for the society in spreading awareness against the adverse effects of alcohol consumption. “Child Friendly Villages” have been working extensively in this area and reaching out to the masses to spread awareness. Every person must make relentless efforts to reach out to at least 10 people and promote the campaign against alcohol. Social media including WhatsApp and Facebook can be very helpful in spreading awareness and encouraging people to quit alcohol.”
He called upon the audience including the students of Amity to take a pledge to spread awareness about the ill-effects of alcohol in youth and protect them from alcohol associated liver diseases.
Speaking on the occasion, Guest of Honor, Dr. Ashok Chauhan President, Amity Education Group and Founder Ritnand Balved Education Foundation, stated, “Prof. Shiv Kumar Sarin has been a pioneer in the field of liver treatment in India and because of his obsession for treatment to help people he has significantly contributed to the development of several treatment protocols for liver diseases. Therefore, it is the responsibility of each one of us to support this noble cause and help in spreading awareness about this campaign against alcohol-related liver diseases. Students must take the lead and become the torch bearers of this campaign since the country’s future rests on their shoulders. Each and every person of the country must be made aware of liver diseases caused by excessive consumption of alcohol and, together, we will be able to bring a significant change in the society. The role which UGC is playing in promoting this cause by imbibing the importance of liver in human body, amongst the students is praiseworthy and all the students must come forward and contribute to eradicate alcohol related liver diseases from India.”
Welcoming the guests on this occasion, Prof. S. K. Sarin, Director, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), said, “The problem of excessive alcohol consumption is extremely widespread in our country, with 1.1 billion people between the age group of 25-39 years consuming alcohol regularly. Alcohol-related liver diseases in the age group of 20-40 years have increased by four times. At present, Europe has the highest consumption of alcohol with India following at the second place and 48% patients are admitted in ILBS because of alcohol consumption, and as doctors, we cry seeing young lives lost due to liquor consumption. It is heartening to see that Amity students have made a unique health module to spread awareness about ill-effects of alcohol. Every day must be celebrated as World Liver Day and the campaign must not be limited only to World Liver Day. The initiative must reach out to people in every corner of the country and all of us must come together to fight against liver diseases caused by alcohol.”
Highlighting the significance of the Programme, Guest of Honor, Prof. Deepak Kumar Srivastava Vice Chairman UGC, said, “In India, alcohol consumption is the highest in the state of Arunachal Pradesh followed by Sikkim and every year around 1 lakh people die due to liver failure in India. Therefore, there is a dire need to spread awareness about how alcohol induced liver damage, since liver is a vital organ of the body. In view of the same, the UGC will issue an advisory to all the Universities to spread awareness about the ill effects of alcohol and alcohol-related liver diseases.”
To mark the occasion, ILBS also launched the Play-Safe Campaign, which aims to protect the liver from alcohol abuse by enhancing societal and familial awareness. In addition, a Panel Discussion on “Saving India's youth from Alcohol associated Liver Diseases; A Socio-Regulatory Preventive Approach” moderated by Shri Prabhu Chawla, Editorial Director, The New Indian Express and The Sunday Standard was also organized wherein esteemed panelists including Shri Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Prize Winner – 2014, Prof. Deepak Kumar Srivastava, Vice Chairman UGC, Dr. Ashok Chauhan, President, Amity Education Group and Founder, Ritnand Balved Education Foundation, Shri Upendra Rai, Chairman & Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Bharat Express News Network, Shri K. L. Jain, Noted industrialist and pillar of Jain Samaj, Shri Manit Jain of Heritage School and Prof. S. K. Sarin, Director, ILBS, participated and shared their views.